greatestheights's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was fully invested in "How to Walk Away" right from the first page. We follow Margaret through a horrible accident, her recovery, and all the ups and downs along the way. Center doesn't shy away from any of the hard parts, so you feel deeply for Margaret and sympathize with even her darkest moments. I really liked the characters and how we see their actions affecting Margaret's recovery. Center explores the difficult nature of families in times of crisis. "How to Walk Away" is a hard but worthwhile and beautiful book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
emjen16's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cursing, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Cancer
rileymc_queen's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
readwithria's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
How to Walk Away broke my heart in two and slowly stitched it back together. Having now read four of Katherine Center’s books, I knew to expect a tragedy of some kind to strike within the first chapter. What I wasn’t expecting was a story so full of resilience and post-traumatic growth.
I loved this book. It’s excellently written, it was thoroughly researched, and Maggie had such a strong arc. However, as much as I loved the story and the characters, there were a couple things that bugged me so that this wasn’t a five star book.
1. No one with a wound of any kind would be allowed in a therapy pool. I can see the leap in logic that would make it seem like it would t be a problem, however I asked my partner (who works in a facility with a therapy pool) and he said that would absolutely never happen. Will this bother anyone else? Probably not. But as soon as I saw that I knew 🤣
2. The count down calendar after she went home. It felt a little out of touch and every time it was mentioned it made me physically cringe. I’m quite glad that she tossed it, but its existence in the first place bothered me.
But now that those two things are out of the way, let me get to more of what I loved.
- I alternated between the physical copy and the audiobook, and the narrator was excellent! It was the same narrator as What You Wish For, which I didn’t vibe with on audio, but she worked really well for this book! All the different voices were great, and hearing Ian’s Scottish accent was excellent
- Kit and Margaret’s relationship. Their growth was so amazing, and I loved seeing their sister dynamic
- Margaret and her mom’s relationship developed so well! I wasn’t expecting her mom to be such a main character, but it was really lovely
All in all, this book has solidified Katherine Center as my go-to when I need to feel crushed and remade. She writes about grief of all kinds so well, and I’m excited to read more from her! 4 stars.
I loved this book. It’s excellently written, it was thoroughly researched, and Maggie had such a strong arc. However, as much as I loved the story and the characters, there were a couple things that bugged me so that this wasn’t a five star book.
1. No one with a wound of any kind would be allowed in a therapy pool. I can see the leap in logic that would make it seem like it would t be a problem, however I asked my partner (who works in a facility with a therapy pool) and he said that would absolutely never happen. Will this bother anyone else? Probably not. But as soon as I saw that I knew 🤣
2. The count down calendar after she went home. It felt a little out of touch and every time it was mentioned it made me physically cringe. I’m quite glad that she tossed it, but its existence in the first place bothered me.
But now that those two things are out of the way, let me get to more of what I loved.
- I alternated between the physical copy and the audiobook, and the narrator was excellent! It was the same narrator as What You Wish For, which I didn’t vibe with on audio, but she worked really well for this book! All the different voices were great, and hearing Ian’s Scottish accent was excellent
- Kit and Margaret’s relationship. Their growth was so amazing, and I loved seeing their sister dynamic
- Margaret and her mom’s relationship developed so well! I wasn’t expecting her mom to be such a main character, but it was really lovely
All in all, this book has solidified Katherine Center as my go-to when I need to feel crushed and remade. She writes about grief of all kinds so well, and I’m excited to read more from her! 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content
Moderate: Ableism, Vomit, and Body shaming
Minor: Infidelity, Gun violence, Excrement, Sexual content, Cursing, Deportation, and Suicidal thoughts
myworldtoread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic relationship
erbartlett96's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mass/school shootings
maddy9877's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
isabell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Medical content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
snipinfool's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Margaret Jacobson was ready to begin her life. She recently graduated with a MBA. She had an excellent interview where the interviewer told her she was a shoe in for the position and she was going to celebrate Valentine's Day with her boyfriend. She had a feeling tonight would be special. She was hoping for a proposal. Instead, a life altering event changed everything.
I was impressed by the details Katherine Center wove into this story. Margaret's struggles were many and the people she expected to be there for her weren't able to give her what she needed. There were characters in the book I wanted to chew out and others I applauded. I loved that Margaret and her sister, Kitty, reconnected. Her sister was one of my favorite characters. I could say more, but I don't want to spoil the plot. I was happily satisfied with the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail